Luxembourg holiday tips

Pictured below is an elegant rail bridge on the outskirts of Luxembourg, one of the smallest, most picturesque and expensive holiday travel destinations in Europe.

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If you're planning holiday travel to Luxembourg or you've already got your plane tickets to this elegant European country, don't blink or you'll miss it.

Luxembourg is a tiny constitutional monarchy covering just 2,586 square kilometres with a border just 359 kilometres long (Belgium 148km, France 73km, Germany 138km). Squeezed between France, Germany and Belgium, Luxembourg is only 81km by 56km at its widest points.

The country is populated by less than 500,000 people and Luxembourg City is one of the three European Union capitals along with Brussels and Strasbourg.

Your holiday travel will take you through a picturesque landscape of hilly countryside and vineyards, including the Valley of the Moselle. Guess what you'll find there?

The constitutional monarchy of Luxembourg is a tiny country but it has a wealth of holiday pleasures for tourists, particularly those with enough money to afford Luxembourg travel and hotel reservations.

Luxembourg has assumed the title of European Capital of Culture 2007 and has enjoyed an ongoing schedule of music, dance, parades and festivals across the country that will continue until the new year.

If you holiday in Luxembourg, make sure you take plenty of cash.

This country is famous for its stable, high-income economy which in recent years has maintained Luxembourg's traditional solid growth with low inflation and low unemployment.

About 30% of the total population is foreign or trans-border workers and Luxembourgers have the highest income per capita of any country in the world - more than US$61,100 on average per year, according to an OECD survey published in 2005.

The financial sector makes up about 22% of the Gross Domestic Product and most banks are foreign-owned with extensive foreign dealings.

Luxembourg was declared a grand duchy in 1815, the state having originally founded in 963.

Neighbouring Belgium seized more than half its territory in 1839 but Luxembourg nevertheless attained full independence in 1867.

Luxembourg was overrun by the Germans in both world wars and became one of the six founding nations of the European Economic Community in 1957.

Luxembourg is the only grand duchy in the world and is the smallest member nation of the European Union (population 448,569 in July 2002, mostly Roman Catholic).

This tiny nation is slightly mountainous to the north with a steep slope down to the Moselle flood plain in the south-east, the landscape generally undulating with broad and shallow valleys.

Luxembourg boasts natural highlands, rolling pastures of farmland and quaint traditional villages.

The landscape is stunningly beautiful, artwork drips from the walls, history is everywhere and there is a rich calendar of cultural events.

Luxembourg holiday travel will take you through two distinct regions: the lush, hilly and mountainous northern forests of the Ardennes, and a rolling farmland plateau in the southern half with flat river valleys.

The gateway to the Ardennes is the town of Ettelbrueck, where the General Patton Memorial Museum pays tribute to the American commander whose troops helped end the German occupation on Christmas Day 1944.

The Our River, Sure River and Moselle River, with its traditional terraced vineyards, form Luxembourg's eastern border with Germany.

Fantastic holiday travel and hotel resorts, as well as medieval castles, can be enjoyed in the picturesque northern region of the Ardennes.

About 50% of Luxembourg is farmed but less than 10% of its citizens live outside the city. About a third of the country is covered with forests.

The country's main agricultural exports are barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes and some livestock products.

Although the climate is comparatively moderate through most of the year, the main tourist season in Luxembourg is from April to October, peaking in July and August.

Prices for hotel reservations and other holiday travel services are sometimes cheaper during autumn, winter and spring.

Luxembourg is a simple country in which to enjoy holiday travel.

Most banks are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to midday and 1pm to 4.30pm. You'll find currency exchanges at Luxembourg Findel Airport or the central train station in Luxembourg City.

Be aware that the airport exchange rate is usually poor and you'll normally get the best deal at a bank. The airport is six kilometres north-east of Luxembourg City and Luxembourg's currency is the euro.

The Luxembourg road network is top quality, seatbelts are compulsory, driving is on the right-hand side and petrol prices are among the cheapest in western Europe. However, car rental reservations are as expensive as most other things in Luxembourg.

Everything is within an hour's drive of the capital city and everywhere you look, photographs are waiting to be taken.

A must-see attraction during your holiday in Luxembourg City is the labyrinth honeycomb of casements which have survived from the original fortress built in 963AD.

The scenery overlooking Luxembourg from this World Heritage site is simply breathtaking. The city sits high above the Alzette and Petrusse river valleys on what was originally a 4th century Roman fort.

Much of Luxembourg's history can be observed within less than two hours by travellers who take the famous Wenzel Walk, named after Wenceslas II, Duke of Luxembourg from 1383 to 1419.

Tourists usually enjoy a walk through the Valley of the Petrusse, passing under the arches of the Point Adolfe Bridge, down a steep series of inclines and 240 steps from the cliff-top parks to the bottom of the ravine that runs through the city.

Unfit or elderly tourists need not worry about climbing back up the 240 steps as a lift has been installed to carry them back to the main city 80 metres above.

The old city's leafy central square is called Place Des Armes and almost always has street entertainment. The central square is lined with rows of restaurants

Away from the city of Luxembourg, your holiday travel can take you to either the spectacular ski slopes and hiking trails of the north or the wine-washed valleys of Moselle to the south.

Every Luxembourger you meet is multilingual, French and German being the daily languages, and English is widely understood in tourist areas.

Luxembourg enjoys mild temperature most of the year with the summer months from May to August averaging 20 degrees C during the day and 10 degrees C at night. Summer is the best time to enjoy holiday travel in Luxembourg, when the autumn leaves of the surrounding mountain forests look stunning.

Be aware that taxi reservations are expensive but they go up by a further 25% on Sundays. There is a very basic train system for Luxembourg holiday travel but quality buses are numerous.

If you are travelling to Luxembourg from France, note that a new high-speed rail service from Paris to Luxembourg City was introduced in mid 2007, cutting travel time by 90 minutes to just over two hours. Luxembourg is served by frequent direct trains from Gare d'Est station in Paris, normally taking about three hours, 45 minutes.

Most shops in Luxembourg are open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm, with many also opening for a few hours on Sundays.

Electricity is at 220 volts. Travel tip ... it's best to have a transformer and adapter during your Luxembourg holiday travel if you're using gadgets such as shavers or hairdryers from overseas.

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Luxembourg has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe but travellers should still take simple precautions such as wearing a money belt and not carrying essential documents or too much cash during their holiday.

If you suffer a crime or an accident while on holiday, the phone number for police is 113. For fire or ambulance you should dial 112.

Luxembourg is too small to have separate area codes. The country code is 352 and local numbers can have anything from five to nine digits.

The food and drink are exquisite, albeit expensive, and Luxembourg has a fantastic sidewalk cafe scene, particularly during the warm months of summer. The country boasts a huge and unique selection of pastries.

Travellers from most western countries only need a passport to enter Luxembourg for up to three months of holiday travel.

Tipping isn't expected during your holiday in Luxembourg, which is fortunate because a 15% Value Added Tax and a 16% service charge are already included on the bill.

A value-added tax of 15% is slapped on just about everything in Luxembourg except for various travel services such as hotels and restaurants, where a tax of just 3% is applied.

This country is so small you can see many of its holiday tourist sites simply by walking between them. Luxembourg is laced with a network of signposted walking paths to guide your holiday travel.

If you can afford it, there are few other European holiday destinations offering a more civilized and romantic charm.

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